In my town we use a grant writing firm to get grants for various projects and needs. The company that writes the grants sends the paperwork to the appropriate government agency for approval. McIntyre has these agencies notify him when a grant is approved. The money is transferred via direct deposit to the town's bank account.

McIntyre makes haste to have a cardboard check made so that he can have his photo taken as if he were responsible for getting the grant approved. In fact, he never knows whether a grant is approved until it goes through the matrix of rules and regulations required before the grant can be approved. He can't stretch the rules. No one can legally stretch or break the rules that govern grants.

I am getting tired of seeing politicians holding a cardboard check in front of the cameras, when in fact, they had no way to pressure the agency responsible for the grant to violate the codes to obtain the money.

Private companies and professioanl grant writers do the proper paperwork, not the congressman. He can't make it happen if the grant is written wrong or outside the law. Yet, he will take the credit for it when in fact, there is absolutely nothing a congressman can do to require a government agency to approve a grant.

I do not care for misleading or distorted publicity by politicians. Mike is not a grant writer. He has more important things on his agenda. He does have the connections to be informed when a grant is approved. Thus, he takes the credit. He can't deliver the goods himself. The grant writer and the approving agency have very strict rules that not even a congressman can violate.

Credit should be given where credit is due. To pose with a large cardboard check is misleading. It is good publicity, though, and most politicians grab every straw that they can reach for to remain in public view. Truth is a rare and often missing commodity among public office seekers.

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